Bezel construction for timepieces and the like



Jan. 14, 1941. W, L MULCRQNE 2,228,67()

BEZEL CONSTRUCTION FOR TIMEPIECES AND THE LIKE Filed Jan. 14, 1939 ""1','`v\ .Tr-( iggl-f. I .,i. )$071 2lb IZ 17 IVW Patented Jan. 14, 1941 UNITED STATESY PATENT OFFICE BEZEL CONSTRUCTION FOR' TIMEPIECES AND THE LIKE 3 Claims.

The present invention relates to anr improved bezel construction for attaching polygonal convex crystals to time-measuring instruments and the like.

In most well known forms of` polygonal convex crystals, lthe sides of the crystal are curved outwardly from a common merging surface at the center, and intersect the common plane of their marginal edges at a different angle .than that atwhi'ch the merging-arches, intervening between adjacent sides of the crystal, intersect the said common marginal plane. Under these conditions. a bezel of usual form which provides a snug-fitting contact between its retaining-dangle and the sides of the crystal, does not-provide a snug-fitting contact around the merging arches and at the corners of the crystal.

For the purpose of overcoming this drawback and forming a substantially dust-proof joint between the marginal edges of a polygonal convex crystal and the retaining-flange of a bezel therefor,y the present invention contemplates an improvedbezel construction 'by means of which Ithe alternately-arranged sidesand corner-portions of the said retaining-flange may be made to snugly engage the arched sides and mergingarches,vrespectively, of the crystal along lines that conform tol the relatively-different curvatures of the said sides and merging-arches, as well as to the relatively-different angles of incidence at which the sides and merging-arches terminate in the common marginal plane of the crystal.

For this purpose, according to the present invention, a blank is preferably stamped from sheet metal in the usual manner and made to `conform in perimetral outline with the marginal edge of a crystal having the desired ploygonal form. After this has been done, the said blank is shaped to provide it with a retaining-ange having portions thereof constructed and arranged to engage the crystal in different planes and along transitional lines of contact extending therebetween to establish a substantially-continuous locus o-f contacting-points common to the crystal and retaining-ange and residing in a surface normal to the marginal plane of the crystal and in substantial parallelism with the perimetral edge thereof.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a bezel of improved form by means of which the joint formed between a polygonal convex crystal and the retaining-flange of said bezel may be rendered substantially Itight and continuous throughout.

One object of this invention is to provide an improved bezel construction for forming a substantially-*continuous dust-proofY joint between a polygonal convex crystal andthe retaining-flange of -the bezel therefor when the said crystal comprises sides and merging-arches which aren inclined at different vertical angles, respectively, to a common marginal plane of the crystal in which the ,said sides and merging-arches terminate.

Another object of ther invention is to provide a bezel having a crystal-retaining flange of improved` construction to form a substantially-uniform-and-continuous joint between the said bezel and the marginal-edges of a quadrilateralconvex crystal comprising arched sides and intervening merging-arches which are symmetrically disposed with respect to a common central merging-surface and in which the said sides and mergingarches-respectively terminate in a common marginal-plane at relatively different angles of incidence in' respect thereto. I

With the `abovevand other objects in View, as will appear to those skilled in the `art from the present disclosure,l this invention includes all features in the' said disclosure which are novel over the prior art.

In. the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a face view of a generally-quadrilateral `bezel embodying the present invention, with a convex crystal oi generally-quadrilateral form positioned therein;

Fig. 2 is an,` enlarged transverse section on the line 2-2 of' Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary diagonal section on the line 3 3 of Fig. l;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged face view of the bezel detached;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged transverse section on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4; and

Fig 6 is an enlarged diagonal section on the line 6-6 of Fig. 4.

The bezel and crystal assembly herein chosen for illustration includes a quadrilateral bezel with rounded corners generally designated `by the reference character I0 and a convex crystal of wellknown form generally designated by the reference character II.

According to the embodied form of the invention shown in .the drawing, the bezel I0 comprises four side-portions generally designated b y the reference character I2, and four -bends generally designated by the reference character I3, at the corners intervening between the said sideportions I2. As shown particularly well in Figs. 2 and 5, each of the side-portions I2 of the bezel comprises in cross section an attachment-ange portion I4, a stop-shoulder portion I5, and a crystal-retaining iiange portion I6 which is provided with an outwardly-deflected crystal-engaging marginal edge Il along which the retainingflange is in engagement with the crystal. As shown particularly well in Figs. 3 and 6, each of the 90-bends I3 comprises in cross section an attachment-flange portion I8, a stop-shoulder portion I9, and a retaining-flange portion 20 which is provided with a crystal-engaging marginal edge 2 I.

As shown particularly Well in Fig. 1, the quadrilateral convex crystal II comprises sides 22, merging-arches 23, and a common merging surface 24 at the center, with respect to which the said sides 22, as Well as the said merging-arches 23, are symmetrically disposed. As shown in Fig. 2, the marginal edge 25 of each side of the crystal extends under and is retained in position by the crystal-engaging marginal edge Il of the retaining-fiange I6 of each side portion I2 of the bezel. As seen in Fig. 3, the marginal-corner portion 26 of each merging-arch 23 of the crystal extends under and is retained in position by the marginal edge 2I of each 90bend I3.

Due to the mutual beveling-effect of intersecting adjacent sides 22-22 which meet at each corner of the crystal II, as shown particularly well in Figs. 2 and 3, the said sides 22-22 intersect the common marginal plane of the said crystal at a vertical acute angle which is relatively greater than that at which the corner-portion of each merging-arch 23 of the crystal intersects the common marginal plane thereof. The retainingange portions I6 of the bezel are deflected up- Wardly to provide the marginal edges Il which engage the top surface of the sides 22 of the crystal in approximately tangential relation thereto.

As shown particularly well in Fig. 6, at each 90-bend I3 of the bezel I0, the marginal edge 2I of the retaining-fiange portion 20 forms a depression with respect to the rectilinear marginal edges Il. While the marginal edges 2| are in snugly-fitting engagement with the crown surfaces of the merging-arches 23, they are merged by transitional sections 2Ia and 2lb thereof into the rectilinear marginal edges Il of the flangeportion I6.

From the foregoing, it will now be understood that the present invention contemplates the shaping of a bezel blank to provide a bezel which in its completed form, has a retaining-flange which is in continuous and close-fitting engagement with the top surface of the crystal throughout its marginal edge.

The invention may be carried out in other specific ways than that herein set forth without departing from the spirit and essential characteristics of the invention, and the present embodiment is, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and all changes coming Within the meaning and equivalency range of the appended claims are intended to be embraced therein.

Iclaim:

l. A bezel for timepieces and like instruments, substantially conforming to the perimetral edge cf a polygonal convex crystal having side walls with merging-arches intervening therebetween, and provided with an integrally-formed crystalretaining flange comprising portions shaped and arranged to have continuous snug-fitting engagement with said side Walls and merging-arches, respectively at varying distances from the common marginal-plane of said crystal.

2. A timepiece bezel for a polygonal convex crystal having adjacent side walls inclined to a common marginal plane thereof and an intervening merging arch-portion generally-inclined to said common marginal plane at a relativelydifferent angle than that at which each of the said side walls is inclined thereto, said bezel being provided with a crystal-retaining flange in continuous retaining-engagement with the mergingarch and side-Wall portions of the crystal at varying distances from the common marginal plane of the crystal to compensate for the dierence in angular inclination at which the mergingarch and side-Wall portions of the crystal intersect the common marginal plane thereof.

3. In combination with a quadrilateral crystal having four sides with merging-arches intervening between adjacent sides thereof, the said merging-arches merging with the perimetral edge of the crystal at a smaller acute angle than that at which the said sides merge with the perimetral edge of the said crystal; a bezel for said crystal, said bezel being provided with a crystal-retaining flange comprising side-retaining portions and merging-arch retaining-portions depressed with respect to and intermediately of the side-retaining portions, the respective retaining-portions of the said retaining-flange being continuously in contact with the crystal throughout its perimeter.

WALTER. L. MULCRONE. 

